"Who are you?"
The three men stiffened at the sudden voice.
Amon's arrival was far too strange. Not one of them had noticed him. If he had chosen to strike from behind instead of speaking first, the result would have been disastrous. They stopped short, abandoning Vivi as they turned to face him.
Something about this man felt wrong.
A moment ago, there had been no one there. Just after only a few steps, he was suddenly sitting above them.
"Who I am doesn't matter," Amon said. "What matters is that you're not taking that little girl anywhere."
The men exchanged looks.
"Friend, we're members of Baroque Works. For the sake of our boss, don't interfere. You'll only bring trouble on yourself."
Amon's appearance had already unsettled them, so they pulled back, hoping the name alone would scare him off.
"Baroque Works..."
Amon repeated it with a half-smile, then glanced at Vivi, who was still trembling but stubbornly trying to look calm.
"Sorry, but your Baroque Works means nothing to me. Why would I give face to something like that?"
Vivi nearly burst out laughing.
She let out a small sound before forcing it back down. She was still in danger, after all, and this was no moment for laughter. But that single reaction was enough to enrage the three men completely.
They had no illusions left now. This man was openly mocking them.
"Split up," one of them shouted. "The two of us deal with him. You grab Princess Vivi!"
The three moved at once, dividing into two groups as they rushed toward Amon and Vivi.
"Not a bad plan," Amon said, shaking his head. "Too bad it's useless in front of real strength."
He could not even be bothered to handle them himself.
"Lily, your turn. Treat this as practice."
"Okay."
Lily nodded, and a red gleam flashed in her eyes. Invisible psychic force surged out around her, pressing down on all three men at once. Their bodies instantly turned heavy, their movements sluggish and awkward, as though control of their limbs no longer belonged to them.
After all the training Amon had put her through, Lily had grown much stronger. By his estimate, she was already around the level of a thirty-million-berry fighter. Dealing with trash like this was easy.
Her only weakness was lack of combat experience, which was exactly why he kept finding chances to let her train.
A girl ought to have at least some ability to protect herself.
While Lily handled the three thugs, Amon lightly leapt down and landed beside Vivi.
After hearing his exchange with the men, Vivi understood that he was not one of the bad ones. When he landed near her, she did not back away. Instead, she simply stared at him with open curiosity.
For some reason, she felt he would not hurt her.
Even she could not explain why. It was just a feeling, but she was willing to trust it.
What interested her even more, though, was Lily.
This was the first time she had seen such a human-like creature. More than that, Lily's way of fighting had completely opened her eyes. She looked so cute, yet her combat ability was astonishing. Vivi could not help thinking how wonderful it would be if she could fight like that too.
"What's your name, little girl?" Amon asked.
"My name is Vivi," she said, her eyes darting once before she added slyly, "Vice Leader of the Sand-Sand Clan."
Even though she knew Amon would not hurt her, she still did not want to reveal that she was Alabasta's princess. So she casually used an identity that did not matter much instead.
"Then what about you, mister?" she asked back.
"Me? I'm a Jar merchant. I came over from the East Blue and just happened to stop here to sell a few Jars."
Then he added, as if casually, "My Jars are very special. That little companion over there came out of one."
As expected, Vivi's eyes immediately lit up.
"Really? They're that amazing?"
She liked Lily, and Amon had noticed it right away. That was why he deliberately steered the conversation there.
But before Vivi could ask more, Amon's expression shifted.
He turned and looked toward a stone pillar ahead.
Someone had appeared there.
Seeing him react, Vivi also looked over.
A young woman was now sitting atop the pillar, as though she had been there from the start. She had lightly tanned skin, a white blouse, and a wide-brimmed hat decorated with large round ornaments. Her gaze rested on Lily as she fought, and there was a faintly amused smile on her lips.
Nico Robin.
And just as he realized who it was, the three men Lily was beating around also noticed her.
Their faces lit up at once.
"Miss All Sunday! Help us! Grab Princess Vivi, or if the mission fails, the boss will kill us!"
Miss All Sunday.
Robin, it is.
Amon already suspected as much, but hearing the title confirmed it. Still, the timing felt a little off. Had Robin joined Baroque Works this early because of some butterfly effect caused by his arrival?
Robin, however, showed no intention of helping them at all.
"Whether you live or die after failing your mission has nothing to do with me."
She remained sitting on the pillar, calm and detached, watching her three subordinates get thrashed by Lily without the slightest urge to interfere.
The three men nearly cursed out loud.
Before they could, Lily increased the force of her telekinesis. An invisible shock slammed into them, knocking all three unconscious in an instant.
Only then did she stop and turn toward Robin with clear caution in her eyes.
By instinct alone, Lily could already tell.
This woman was not easy to deal with.